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District set to buy key Flagler conservation corridor land

This property, referred to as "Relay" and roughly 10 miles west of Ormond Beach and 10 miles south of State Road 100 in Bunnell, is being considered for purchase by the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Published: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 3:21 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 9:05 p.m.

A long hoped-for addition to conservation lands in Flagler County could become reality next week, when St. Johns River Water Management District officials consider a proposed sale contract for nearly 2,400 acres.

The property is "an essential piece" in the conservation corridor that stretches through Volusia and Flagler counties, said Robert Christianson, director of the district's Division of Operations and Resources. The district has reached a sale agreement with the property owner, Plum Creek Timberlands. The property, part of a larger area owned by the company and referred to as "Relay," is roughly 10 miles west of Ormond Beach and 10 miles south of State Road 100 in Bunnell.

Conservation of the property will protect potential public water supplies and an area of floodplain and wetlands connected to the headwaters of the Little Tomoka River, Christianson said.

The proposed purchase price, $2.85 million or about $1,200 an acre, is slightly less than the lower of two appraisals obtained by the district. One appraisal was set at $2.87 million and the other was $3.47 million. The district's governing board is scheduled to vote on the land buy Tuesday.

For the first time, the district will conduct a public meeting before its board meeting to present the proposal to the public and accept comment. It's part of a new strategy adopted by the district under new policies initiated by Gov. Rick Scott. The meeting takes place Monday at 5 p.m. at district headquarters in Palatka.

The purchase might seem surprising to some, given the district's decision last December to sell some of its publicly owned land. After a yearlong scientific assessment of district land holdings, the board unanimously approved a plan calling for the district to donate or sell about 8 percent of the land it owns. The land was deemed no longer necessary for conservation.

The plan calls for the donation of 4,686 acres to Flagler County and 18,045 acres to Volusia County. The district also plans to sell 584 acres in Flagler County, while holding conservation easements to restrict development on the land.

District officials say the Plum Creek addition meets the conservation mission because of its importance to water resources. The timing — and money — for the purchase is tied to money the Department of Transportation is paying as compensation for wetland impacts taking place as the widening of Interstate 95 continues in the region. For example, the money includes mitigation for the widening of Interstate 95 between Interstate 4 in Daytona Beach and State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach.

Flagler County officials were happy to learn of the purchase this week.

"Obviously we are always pleased when the water management district is applying land preservation funds in Flagler County," said Tim Telfer, an environmental planner and land manager with the county. "It fits with the county's mission and strategic goals and we're happy to see them go forward with the purchase.

"This corridor has been in the works for years. It's one of our priority areas," Telfer said. "Whenever somebody has an opportunity to add to it, everyone makes a serious effort to help make it happen."

Don White, a former co-president of Flagler Audubon, is among those who supports the acquisition. White said the property was included on a list of "Jewels of Flagler County" the Audubon chapter prepared in 2007. The Jewels were areas chapter members deemed critical habitat and important conservation areas worthy of preserving.

White said that while he can't speak for the current board, he feels certain chapter members would still "enthusiastically support" the acquisition.

Plum Creek's property has been important to the district for "a long time," Christianson said. The district and the state bought conservation easements over much of the company's land in Flagler County several years ago, but this piece was one of four outlying tracts the timber company held out of that sale.

The district maintains conservation easements over the land directly to the south, north and west of the 2,392 acres.

Monday's public meeting is another in a number of changes to state land-buying programs initiated in the past three years.

The memo outlining the proposal reflects other changes, including a statement that the purchase has already been approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection but will require a budget amendment that must be approved by the Executive Office of the Governor.

If the board approves the buy, district officials expect to close by June 30.

D & E Water Resources, a Plum Creek subsidiary that previously leased water access rights to the property, will retain those rights under the proposed contract between the district and Plum Creek.

The company has been interested in exploring whether it could put wells on the property for a future public water supply, Christianson said, and will retain the right to sink wells if the required permits can be obtained from the district.

<p>A long hoped-for addition to conservation lands in Flagler County could become reality next week, when St. Johns River Water Management District officials consider a proposed sale contract for nearly 2,400 acres. </p><p>The property is "an essential piece" in the conservation corridor that stretches through Volusia and Flagler counties, said Robert Christianson, director of the district's Division of Operations and Resources. The district has reached a sale agreement with the property owner, Plum Creek Timberlands. The property, part of a larger area owned by the company and referred to as "Relay," is roughly 10 miles west of Ormond Beach and 10 miles south of State Road 100 in Bunnell. </p><p>Conservation of the property will protect potential public water supplies and an area of floodplain and wetlands connected to the headwaters of the Little Tomoka River, Christianson said. </p><p>The proposed purchase price, $2.85 million or about $1,200 an acre, is slightly less than the lower of two appraisals obtained by the district. One appraisal was set at $2.87 million and the other was $3.47 million. The district's governing board is scheduled to vote on the land buy Tuesday. </p><p>For the first time, the district will conduct a public meeting before its board meeting to present the proposal to the public and accept comment. It's part of a new strategy adopted by the district under new policies initiated by Gov. Rick Scott. The meeting takes place Monday at 5 p.m. at district headquarters in Palatka. </p><p>The purchase might seem surprising to some, given the district's decision last December to sell some of its publicly owned land. After a yearlong scientific assessment of district land holdings, the board unanimously approved a plan calling for the district to donate or sell about 8 percent of the land it owns. The land was deemed no longer necessary for conservation. </p><p>The plan calls for the donation of 4,686 acres to Flagler County and 18,045 acres to Volusia County. The district also plans to sell 584 acres in Flagler County, while holding conservation easements to restrict development on the land. </p><p>District officials say the Plum Creek addition meets the conservation mission because of its importance to water resources. The timing &mdash; and money &mdash; for the purchase is tied to money the Department of Transportation is paying as compensation for wetland impacts taking place as the widening of Interstate 95 continues in the region. For example, the money includes mitigation for the widening of Interstate 95 between Interstate 4 in Daytona Beach and State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach. </p><p>Flagler County officials were happy to learn of the purchase this week. </p><p>"Obviously we are always pleased when the water management district is applying land preservation funds in Flagler County," said Tim Telfer, an environmental planner and land manager with the county. "It fits with the county's mission and strategic goals and we're happy to see them go forward with the purchase. </p><p>"This corridor has been in the works for years. It's one of our priority areas," Telfer said. "Whenever somebody has an opportunity to add to it, everyone makes a serious effort to help make it happen." </p><p>Don White, a former co-president of Flagler Audubon, is among those who supports the acquisition. White said the property was included on a list of "Jewels of Flagler County" the Audubon chapter prepared in 2007. The Jewels were areas chapter members deemed critical habitat and important conservation areas worthy of preserving. </p><p>White said that while he can't speak for the current board, he feels certain chapter members would still "enthusiastically support" the acquisition. </p><p>Plum Creek's property has been important to the district for "a long time," Christianson said. The district and the state bought conservation easements over much of the company's land in Flagler County several years ago, but this piece was one of four outlying tracts the timber company held out of that sale. </p><p>The district maintains conservation easements over the land directly to the south, north and west of the 2,392 acres. </p><p>Monday's public meeting is another in a number of changes to state land-buying programs initiated in the past three years. </p><p>The memo outlining the proposal reflects other changes, including a statement that the purchase has already been approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection but will require a budget amendment that must be approved by the Executive Office of the Governor. </p><p>If the board approves the buy, district officials expect to close by June 30. </p><p>D & E Water Resources, a Plum Creek subsidiary that previously leased water access rights to the property, will retain those rights under the proposed contract between the district and Plum Creek. </p><p>The company has been interested in exploring whether it could put wells on the property for a future public water supply, Christianson said, and will retain the right to sink wells if the required permits can be obtained from the district.</p>